


Nathaniel's Christmas Gift

by fhsa_archivist



Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-05
Updated: 2006-03-05
Packaged: 2019-02-05 14:38:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12796581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fhsa_archivist/pseuds/fhsa_archivist
Summary: To all the wonderful members of Micah Nimir-Raj, thank you all for making this such a great group. Happy Holiday’s to you all and the brightest of blessings for the New Year.





	Nathaniel's Christmas Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

Anita sat nursing her first morning cup of coffee, watching Nathaniel putter around the kitchen with blurry, slightly unfocused eyes. He was nestling again, she thought. What was it this morning? Belgian waffles or something equally rich and sinful. He had been spoiling them all for a good week, every morning, brought delicious breakfast’s and he did all the cleaning up as well! Anita wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew her wereleopard, Nathaniel wanted something.

 

It was about a week before Christmas and all enquires into what the wereleopard wanted for Christmas were met with ‘I don’t know’ or ‘There’s nothing I want.’ Anita was starting to get pissed. She’d asked Micah, Jason, hell, she’d even broken down and went to Jean-Claude…not a one had any idea what to get the young man. Anita dismissed clothes, Nathaniel never liked what she picked out for him anyway, and she shelved the new vacuum idea that she’d been eyeing in the Sears catalog. It just felt wrong somehow to buy him a vacuum for Christmas.

 

Nathaniel left the stove and set a plate down in front of his Nimir-Ra. He waited anxiously at her side for her reaction.

 

Anita looked down at the plate worth a spot in any five-star restraint. The waffles were topped with fresh strawberries and what she was sure was fresh whipped cream. ‘Yep,’ that clenched it, he wanted something.

 

“Nathaniel,” Anita ordered, “Sit down.”

 

Anita looked up into earnest lavender eyes, forcing herself to be firm. “Enough Nathaniel, look it’s not as though everyone doesn’t appreciate the extra weight they are gaining from your meals every morning, but whatever it is you want, its better just to ask.” She reached out a brushed a hand across his cheek. “Okay?” she asked, and receiving his nod, continued. “Now what do you want for Christmas?” Anita demanded, voice gruff and patience gone.

 

Nathaniel seemed to think about it for a moment, before biting his lip and rising from the table. Reaching into a kitchen drawer, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. Taking a seat back at the table, Nathaniel took a deep breath and handed Anita the paper. “This is what I want, the only thing I want for Christmas.”

 

Anita looked down at the paper, eyes widening in horror. “No Nathaniel! Oh…no, no,” she repeated, shaking her head, eyes lifted to look at Nathaniel in stunned disbelief. “Y-you can’t be serious?” she stuttered out.

 

Nathaniel looked down at the table, eyes blinking rapidly. He took a deep breath and slowly reached out to take the paper back from her. “Okay,” he whispered. Getting up from the table, Nathaniel said nothing else, he just left the room.

 

It should have been Anita’s first hint that the refusal was not taken well at all. Nathaniel didn’t argue, pout, or even asked ‘why not?’ Just quietly left the room and it seemed over the next days, the house.

 

Decorating was done without him. There were no Christmas cookies filling the house with their aroma, no Nathaniel in a holiday apron, humming carols under his breath as he worked about the house. What was worse was that everyone seemed to know that it was Anita’s fault and they all wanted to know what she had done to precious Nathaniel. Even Micah, who never argued with her was demanding to know what she had done and once she told him of Nathaniel’s Christmas wish, outrage and righteous indignation in her voice; Micah had the nerve to demand why Nathaniel couldn’t have what he wanted for Christmas.

 

Jean-Claude also expressed his disappointment, asking her one evening why she couldn’t grant this request when Nathaniel had never really asked her for anything except to be loved and needed. But it was Zane who pissed her off enough to send her storming out of her own home. It all started when he innocently asked why the pard couldn’t get Nathaniel’s gift if she wasn’t willing to.

 

Anita retreated to her office, feeling picked on and misunderstood. Didn’t they get it? The gift would change their lives and their home. Despite all their promises of the gift not being her responsibility and that they all would help out, oh she knew who would be stuck with all the resulting mess; her! That’s who. Well they could all just forget it. It was past time that they remembered who was in charge. She was their Nimir-Ra and they would just have to learn to live with it, and that included Nathaniel!

 

Plan firmly in place Anita was able to sail through the next few days before Christmas by firmly ignoring the pouts, frowns, and dramatic sighs whenever she walked into the house, but surprisingly, Nathaniel still said not a word. Now it was Christmas Eve…

 

She heard their voices as she was about to leave the bedroom; Jason and Nathaniel speaking together in a whisper. She heard Jason asked why the gift meant so much. Anita listened to Nathaniel telling Jason about growing up without a home of his own. She listened to him tell of how much this home, now, here with Anita meant so much to him. She heard the love in his voice for her as he described having his every secret wish from childhood come true, that is, all except one.

 

Anita sighed…looked like she had one more gift to buy.

 

*~*

 

Anita looked around at the laughing, happy, and loud group of wereleopards. Presents were being opened and hugs of thanks given. Anita waited until all the gifts had been opened and some calm had returned to the living room before she rose and disappeared. Carefully carrying the cardboard box back into the room, she called for Nathaniel.

 

“Nathaniel,” she said. “There’s one more gift here with your name on it.” Anita smiled and slowly lowered the box into Nathaniel waiting arms. The room became still and silent as everyone waited to see if Nathaniel got his special gift.

 

Nathaniel looked up slowly to his Nimir-Ra, hope in his eyes. “Anita?” he whispered.

 

Anita smiled and sat down on the floor next to Nathaniel. “Go on, open it.” She gently ordered.

 

Slowly, as if he were memorizing every second, recording this moment for recall in the future, Nathaniel opened the box. A huge smile spilt his face and he carefully reached both hands into the box.

 

Gasp and ‘oh’s’ filled the room as two kittens were pulled from the box, so small that they fit perfectly in Nathaniel’s hands. Two pink noses wrinkled and tiny meows filled the silence. Then laughter broke out as the small black kitten sneezed on his grey colored brother. Over the laughter the delighted sounds of Nathaniel’s laughter rang out. He turned to the group and proudly held up his gifts. “Meet the newest members of our pard!”

 

*~*

 

Anita shut off the last of the lights and gratefully made her way to the bedroom. Christmas was hard work; she didn’t care what anyone said. Making others happy was exhausting. She quietly entered the bedroom, only the small night table lamp lit. Dropping her clothes on the floor, she pulled back the covers and slid into bed. It was a loud meow and the sharp claws that raked her bare ass that had her shooting out of bed. 

 

An outraged cry rang through the house. “Nathaniel!” 

 

and to all….a good night…

 

Happy Holiday’s!


End file.
